Color systems, such as the Munsell (see U.S. Pat. No. 824,374, incorporated fully hereinto by reference) and C.I.E. (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage) systems, which use the three color coordinates of hue, intensity of saturation or chroma (hereinafter simply referred to as "chroma") and darkness/lightness value (hereinafter simply referred to as "value") are notoriously well known. In this connection, these color coordinate systems enable an essentially three-dimensional color model to be constructed whereby the characteristics of any color may be identified using its unique hue, chroma and value coordinates.
As may be appreciated, a three-dimensional "solid" color model is unwieldy since it is usually difficult to access and use the colors in the model's interior--that is, those colors closely adjacent to the value scale. Thus, various proposals have been made whereby three-dimensional color models are constructed which allow the interior colors in the model to be accessed. In this regard, please see U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,480,486 to Allen and 3,474,546 to Wedlake.
Other "two-dimensional" color systems have also been proposed as evidenced by U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,597,830 to Rueger, 1,612,791 to Ames et al, 1,617,024 to Munsell et al, and 2,007,264 to Allen. In essence, each of these systems provide for an organized two-dimensional arrangement of color patches printed upon an underlying substrate.
More recently, a color grading system for gemstones has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,895 to Rubin whereby so-called color-masking charts (each comprised of a series of sample achromatic color swatches printed upon a transparent flexible film substrate and arranged in increasing amounts of the achromatic color) may be overlaid with chromatic color charts (each comprised of a series of sample chromatic color swatches printed upon a transparent flexible film substrate in increasing intensities of color saturation) so as to closely approximate the color characteristics of particular gemstones.
However, since the system disclosed in the Rubin '895 patent necessarily depends upon color swatches printed upon a transparent substrate, the swatch is exposed to physical abrasion during use such that its integrity and/or quality may degrade over time. As a result, the accuracy of color matches using such a system will likewise degrade over time. In addition, the printed swatches often lack the clarity and/or intensity of color that is intended to be matched so that oftentimes only a close approximation of the actual color characteristics may be achieved.
Thus, it is towards providing more convenient kits that may be used to communicate color more faithfully and objectively.
Broadly, the present invention is based upon ordered series of rigid non-printed color plaques. That is, each of the plaques employed in the kits of this invention is three-dimensional such that its respective color is homogeneously present throughout its depth. In this regard, the plaques of this invention are most preferably formed of a molded plastics material in which the color has been blended uniformly therein prior to or during molding. Since the plaques of this invention do not simply carry printed swatches of color, they are less susceptible to degradation by physical abrasion as compared, for example, to the color communication system disclosed in the Rubin '895 U.S. patent mentioned above.
In preferred forms, the present invention is embodied in a color communication kit which includes a series of discrete rigid chromatic plaques arranged in ordered columns and rows corresponding respectively to the particular hue and chromatic value coordinates for each plaque, and a series of rigid achromatic plaques arranged in at least one ordered column corresponding to the achromatic value coordinate. Any combination of chromatic and/or achromatic plaques may be stacked one on top of the other so as to achieve particular collective color characteristics by means of a visual summing of the color characteristics of the individual combined plaques. In other words, when a selected combination of chromatic and/or achromatic plaques are stacked, the resulting collective color presentation will result in the particular color hue, value and chroma coordinates for that collective color being visually perceived. Preferably a holder device is employed so as to enable the user to stack a number of plaques in any desired combination so as to, in turn, achieve a desired color characterized by a visually perceptible combination of the unique hue, chroma and value coordinates associated with the individual plaques in the stack.
The achromatic color communication plaques employed in the present invention can be either transparent, translucent or opaque and/or can be provided with increasing values of colorless tones as well as "brown" or "black" tones. The achromatic color communication plaques may be provided in the form of a series having completely transparent and opaque plaques at its extremes with an ordered value progression of plaques of varying translucency therebetween. Furthermore, the achromatic plaques may be employed as a means to impart other color qualities and/or characteristics to the chromatic plaques which may be stacked therewith. For example, the achromatic plaques may be in the form of "pearl" or "metallic" qualities in white to gray tones of ordered value.
In one preferred form, the present invention will be embodied in a flat case whereby the series of chromatic plaques are arranged in ordered linear columns and rows corresponding to the respective hue and chromatic value coordinates of the plaques. The achromatic plaques are preferably housed within the same case in ordered linear columns corresponding to the achromatic value coordinate of the respective plaques. In addition, a number of discrete columns of achromatic plaques may be provided depending upon the desired color qualities intended to be communicated. For example, a series of achromatic plaques in varying brown, white, gray or black tone characteristics, and/or a series of achromatic plaques in varying opacity, translucency or transparency characteristics may be provided so as to increase the versatility of the color communication kit.
The plaques in the color communication kits of this invention may also be arranged in the form of a three-dimensional color "wheel" in which the series of chromatic plaques is arranged in vertical columns in order of the respective chromatic value coordinates of the plaques, and in circular rows in order of the respective hue coordinates of the plaques. The achromatic plaques, on the other hand, may likewise be arranged in vertical columns about the periphery of a separate wheel structure, with each column being dedicated to a particular achromatic value characteristic (e.g., varying values of colorless-to-brown, colorless-to-black, white-to-gray-to-black tones, in addition to pearl or metallic characteristics, and the like) as well as a series to determine transparency, translucency and opacity in either brown or black or white-to-gray-to-black tones.
Further aspects and advantages of this invention will become more clear after careful consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof.